Electronic displays on vehicle seat backs offer visual access to information and entertainment, i.e., infotainment, and, for example, can be used to expand the display of hand held electronic devices for viewing stored movie playback, music videos, etc. The electronic display may be positioned to be viewed by occupants seated in a rear row of seats. For example, the electronic display may be mounted to a roof of the vehicle, e.g., an overhead flip-down display assembly, or may be mounted to a seat back.
The occupant may contact the electronic display in a vehicle impact, e.g., a front end impact. As such, the seat back may be designed to comply with Head Injury Criterion (HIC) testing standards. The HIC is a measure of the likelihood of head injury arising from an impact. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) utilizes the HIC as a tool for measuring head injury, and is a primary factor in determining the vehicle safety rating.
There remains an opportunity to design a vehicle seat back including an electronic display that allows for a reduction of the impact energy transferred to the occupant.